Friday, June 20, 2008

To run, to walk, to sink roots in deep...

I still want to run…

Just like in my earlier post today.

However some other things distracted me until now.

About five o’clock, Dave’s parents came and picked up Marina (they already had Peter for the day) and spirited both kids away to the farm. That suddenly made our evening look a whole lot different.

Dave suggested a walk… so I promptly put on some shorts, grabbed my visor and off we went.

In Mosinee, the main highway has one bridge to get into town. The way the town was built, it is on one side of the Wisconsin River, and the interstate, train, and most of the other main roads into and out of Wausau are on the other side of the river.
Let me tell you, when school is out at 3:30 and first shifters are trying to get back into town at the same time, the bridge can be backed up all the way across its span (and that is rather long)… but that’s another story…

So, our walk.

We walked to the bridge, where it crosses the river. Mosinee was originally known as Little Bull Falls. Well, the falls are still there, though slightly modified by man. A dam has been put in now, and they regulate the water flow over the falls.
Well, there are several public access points along the bridge, where you can get on to some islands on the river… at least when the water level is low. Earlier last week, with all the rain, it was running pretty high. But today, it was running low, so we were able to get to parts of the islands and rocks that you aren’t normally able to get to.

I wish I had some pictures to share, but this time we didn’t take the camera, as we figured we would be doing a lot of climbing and possibly slipping, so didn’t want to risk either of our good cameras on the walk. Maybe next time I can at least find a place to get a few good pictures to post at a later time.

Sorry… on with the story.

It was fun climbing over rocks and around outcroppings. We were able to sit on rocks polished smooth with years of water running over them, twists and swirls, and round pockets worn into them.

We got to one point where we climbed up a large out cropping, and were able to see further down the river and the water washing down, tangles of trees, rocks, and bits of bushes, plants and flowers clinging where there was no soil. It was beautiful, and serene, if you could block out the noise of the traffic racing on the bridge over our heads.

We climbed back out of the river channel, back to the bridge and beat it home, just before it really started to pour. It would have been pretty interesting getting out of there, if it had started raining, while we were still there. The rocks would have been so slippery!

The walking and climbing over the rocks helped me just by getting some physical exercise. I now am too tired to run! And even though Dave and I didn’t talk about much, or anything very important, it was good to be with him. We sat on the couch tonight, ate pizza, and watched a program on TV we both really like.

In all it was a relaxing evening… unplanned… unexpected… and nice. Really nice.
So, why am I still anxious? Why am I still struggling with wanting to isolate myself? A habit? A way of protecting myself? Am I like those trees and bushes I saw today, sinking their roots deep into the rock so they don’t get swept away? Do I sink my roots deep into the habits of the past, so that something doesn’t change when everything else around me seems to?

Maybe I should let up those roots, pull them out of the old rocky habits, and instead immerse them in the Living Stream of water. I guess that is what I am trying to do. It’s really hard work. And it takes a stronger Hand than me. I mean, what bush can pull itself out of the ground? It needs outside help.

I need to give in to the rushing, wild, untameable flow of Christ’s love for me. Allow Him to flood over me, wash me in His cleansing flow, pull me out of the rocky life I have known and deposit me in a fertile field, near His stream of Living Water.

Oh, Lord, let me sink my roots deep into the rich soil of Your Word. Quench my thirst with the clear, clean, cool water of Your Word. Wash me with Your cleansing flood, and plant me where You want me. Cause the fruit to grow in me that You have prepared me to grow. Show me Your will for my life, and help me to submit to You, and allow You to use the circumstances of my life to teach me daily more about You… and who I am in You. Amen.

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